Insole and footbed for golf shoes that improves balance, posture and stability to enhance the golf swing

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an insole or footbed for a shoe. The insole includes a forefoot portion having a first thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof, a midfoot portion attached to the forefoot portion, and a hindfoot portion attached to the midfoot portion. An energy plug is attached to the midfoot portion and hindfoot portion and covering lateral portions thereof. The hindfoot portion has a second thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof, the second thickness being less than a first thickness. The hindfoot portion includes a support stabilizer at an outside lateral portion thereof.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/504,982, filed on May 11, 2017, entitled INSOLE AND FOOTBED FOR GOLF SHOES THAT IMPROVES BALANCE, POSTURE AND STABILITY TO ENHANCE THE GOLF SWING and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/975,337, filed May 9, 2018, entitled INSOLE AND FOOTBED FOR GOLF SHOES THAT IMPROVES BALANCE, POSTURE AND STABILITY TO ENHANCE THE GOLF SWING, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Disclosed herein is an insole or footbed for golf shoes that improves the swing of a golfer by improving posture, reducing lateral foot sway, and improving proprioception.

BACKGROUND

Once a certain level of competency is attained, golf can be a relaxing and enjoyable sport. However, it is necessary for a beginner to learn numerous fundamentals before reaching that level of competency and enjoyment.

It has long been recognized that the ideal golf swing is a somewhat unnatural movement for the skeletal and muscular structure of human beings. Therefore, it is necessary for a golfer to train his muscles to move in the right manner to obtain a proper swing which will cause the ball to be driven along an intended path. A common problem, for example, is the tendency for the golfer's weight to shift to the toe areas during a swing as the weight shifts from the rear foot to the front foot. When a golfer departs from the proper swing, generally due to such improper shifts of weight, a hook, slice, or other undesirable path of the ball will result.

Therefore, there is a need for an aid for a golfer which will assist with maintaining the correct stance during an entire swing.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Disclosed herein is an insole for the dominant foot or side of a golfer. The insole includes a forefoot portion having a first thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof, a midfoot portion attached to the forefoot portion, and a hindfoot portion attached to the midfoot portion. An energy plug is attached to the midfoot portion and hindfoot portion and covers lateral portions thereof. The hindfoot portion has a second thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof, with the second thickness being less than a first thickness. The hindfoot portion includes a support stabilizer at an outside lateral portion thereof.

The support stabilizer may define a third thickness of the hindfoot portion at a lateral portion thereof, and the third thickness is greater than the first thickness. In some cases, the support stabilizer may define a non-uniform thickness of the hindfoot portion that increases toward a lateralmost edge of the hindfoot portion.

The midfoot portion may be shaped to define an arch extending between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion.

The forefoot portion, midfoot portion, and hindfoot portion may be constructed from resilient material, with the resilient material of the energy plug having a higher rebound rate than that of the resilient material of the forefoot portion, midfoot portion, and hindfoot portion.

The hindfoot portion does not include a lateral support stabilizer at an inside lateral portion thereof. The support stabilizer defines a third thickness of the hindfoot portion at an outside lateral portion thereof, the third thickness being greater than the first thickness. Lack of a lateral support stabilizer at the inside lateral portion of the hindfoot portion results in a fourth thickness of the hindfoot portion at the inside lateral portion thereof being less than the third thickness.

The energy plug may be dimensioned such that when the insole is placed within the shoe and when a foot is placed within the shoe to contact the insole, the energy plug extends from a center of a heel of the foot to a point adjacent a base of a fifth metatarsal of the foot.

Also disclosed is an insole for the non-dominant foot, which is similar to the insole for the dominant foot but lacks the support stabilizer and power plug.

Also disclosed herein is a method aspect. This method is a method of improving a swing performed by a golfer by making an insole dimensioned to fit within a golf shoe. The method includes improving posture of the golfer during swinging of a golf club by elevating a forefoot of a foot of the golfer positioned within the golf shoe adjacent the insole respect to a hindfoot of the foot using a forefoot portion of the insole formed to have a first thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof. The method also includes reducing lateral sway of a foot of the golfer during swinging of the golf club by laterally bracing the foot using a support stabilizer positioned at an outside lateral portion of a hindfoot portion of the insole, with the hindfoot portion of the insole being formed to have a second thickness at a literal midpoint thereof that is greater than the first thickness. The method further includes improving proprioception of the golfer during the swinging of the golf club by shaping a midfoot portion of the sole to define an arch extending between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion and fitting snugly against an arch of the foot. In addition, the method may also incorporate returning energy stored during a backswing phase of the swinging of the golf club to a lateral portion of the foot during transition from the backswing phase to a foreswing phase of the swinging of the golf club by attaching an energy plug to cover lateral portions of the midfoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the insole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of an inside (medial) side of an insole for a right shoe for a righthanded golfer in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view of an outside (lateral) side of an insole for a right shoe for a righthanded golfer in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a view of an inside (medial) side of an insole for a left shoe for a righthanded golfer in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view of an outside (lateral) side of an insole for a left shoe for a righthanded golfer in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 5 a top perspective view showing the power plug of the insole for a right shoe of a righthanded golfer as disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 is a line drawing of an inside (medial) view of an insole for a right shoe for a righthanded golfer, mirrored across the y axis, in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a transverse frontal view of an insole for a right shoe for a righthanded golfer in accordance with this disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a line drawing of an inside (medial) view of an insole for a left shoe for a righthanded golfer, mirrored across the y axis, in accordance with this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter disclosed herein. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present detailed description. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein.

With reference to FIGS. 1-2, an insole 10 a for a golf shoe is now described. This insole 10 a is for the right shoe of a righthanded golfer, meaning the insole for the dominant side. The insole 10 a is comprised of a forefoot portion 15, a midfoot portion 30 adjacent to the forefoot portion 15, and a hindfoot portion 40 adjacent to the midfoot portion 30.

Also described with additional reference to FIG. 3-4 is an insole 10 b for the left shoe of a righthanded golfer, meaning the insole for the non-dominant side. The insole 10 b is likewise comprised of a forefoot portion 15, a midfoot portion 30 adjacent to the forefoot portion 15, and a hindfoot portion 40 adjacent to the midfoot portion 30.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, the forefoot portion 15 of insole 10 a has a first thickness 50 extending from the top of the insole to its latitudinal midpoint. The midfoot portion 30 has a second thickness 60 extending from the latitudinal midpoint to the bottom of the insole. The hindfoot portion 40 has a third thickness 70. In an exemplar embodiment, third thickness 70 is less than the first thickness 50 plus the second thickness 60, such that the forefoot of the foot of a golfer wearing a shoe with the insole 10 a installed is inclined with respect to the heel of the foot of the golfer. In another exemplar embodiment, third thickness 70 is less than the first thickness 50 or the second thickness 60, such that the forefoot of the foot of a golfer wearing a shoe with the insole 10 a installed is inclined with respect to the heel of the foot of the golfer. It should be appreciated that the insole 10 b may possess the same arrangement of thicknesses as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 8, the forefoot portion 15 of insole 10 b has a fifth thickness 55 extending from the top of the insole to its latitudinal midpoint. The midfoot portion 30 has a sixth thickness 65 extending from the latitudinal midpoint to the bottom of the insole. The hindfoot portion 40 has a seventh thickness 75. In an exemplar embodiment, the seventh thickness 75 is less than the fifth thickness 55 added with the sixth thickness 65, such that the forefoot of the golfer wearing a shoe with the insole 10 b installed is inclined with respect to the heel of the foot of the golfer. In another exemplar embodiment, the seventh thickness 75 is less than the fifth thickness 55 or the sixth thickness 65, that the forefoot of the golfer wearing a shoe with the insole 10 b installed is inclined with respect to the heel of the foot of the golfer.

A golf swing has five phases: address, take-away, backswing, foreswing, and follow-through. Many recreational golfers lean forward on their toes instead of keeping their weight back on their heels during the address phase of the golf swing. Inherently, this forward tilt causes a golfer to stay in a poor postural position during each of the five phases of the golf swing, resulting in a less than ideal swing and poor performance. By elevating the forefoot of the golfer with the inclined forefoot portion 15 of the insoles 10 a and 10 b, better posture is facilitated during address, and continues through the takeaway, backswing, foreswing and follow-through phases. Although the elevation differential of the forefoot with respect to the heel provided by the insoles 10 a, 10 b can be relatively small in some applications, such as 4 millimeters, the effect it has on golfers is marked and noticeable. Posture and balance are two key elements of obtaining a better address of the ball, and the elevated forefoot portion 15 of the insoles 10 a and 10 b advantageously helps to facilitate these key elements.

The midfoot portion 30 of both insoles 10 a and 10 b may be shaped to define an arch 31 extending between the forefoot portion 15 and the hindfoot portion 40. This arch 31 is shaped so as to snugly fit against the arch of the foot of the golfer enabling proprioception, which is best illustrated in FIG. 1-4. Proprioception is the body's ability to restabilize and balance itself, and therefore is influential during the golf swing. The quicker proprioceptors can react and send information to the brain, the more stable and balanced the golfer will be at each phase of the golf swing. This is not only important upon the address phase of the golf swing, but also during takeaway, backswing, and fore swing phases as well. The intimate and snug fit of the arch 31 of the insoles 10 a and 10 b provides noticeable feedback to the golfer, thereby increasing the proprioception process of the golfer's body.

As shown in FIG. 5, an energy plug 42 is adjacent to the midfoot portion 30 and hindfoot portion 40 of the insole 10 a. The energy plug is not present on the insole 10 b, and is thus only for the insole 10 a for the right foot of a right-handed golfer.

The energy plug 42 extends along the outside lateral portions of the midfoot portion 30 and hindfoot portion 40, perhaps best shown in FIG. 5 on the insole 10 a. By outside portions, it is meant the portions that are in line with an outside lateral portion of the foot of a golfer when wearing a golf shoe with the insole 10 a. The dimensions of the energy plug 42 are such that when the insole 10 a is placed within a golf shoe and when the foot of the golfer is placed within the shoe to contact the insole 10 a, the energy plug 42 extends from a center of a heel of the foot to a point adjacent a base of a fifth metatarsal of the foot. The energy plug 42 is constructed from a resilient material having a higher rebound rate than that of the resilient material from which the forefoot portion 15, midfoot portion 30, and hindfoot portion 40 are constructed from. In one embodiment, the high rebound resilient material of the energy plug is composed of polyurethane.

The purpose of the energy plug 42 is to compresses upon loading of the dominant rear foot of the golfer during the swing, which is the right foot for righthanded golfers and the left foot for lefthanded golfers. This loading occurs during the backswing phase of the golf swing. Subsequent to compression, the energy plug 42 then returns energy to the outside of the foot of the golfer, thereby allowing it to return to a more pronated position and moving the weight of the body of the golfer medially. This helps to optimize weight transfer during the transition from the backswing to the foreswing phase of the golf swing.

The hindfoot portion 40 of insole 10 a includes a support stabilizer 41 at its outside lateral edge, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. The support stabilizer 41 defines an eighth thickness 80 of the hindfoot portion 40 at a lateral portion thereof, as best shown in FIG. 7. The eighth thickness 80 is greater than the first thickness 50. Thus, due to the support stabilizer 41, the thickness of the hindfoot portion 40 itself increases toward the lateral most edge on which the support stabilizer 41 is located.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the hindfoot portion 40 of insole 10 a does not include a lateral support stabilizer at its outside lateral edge. Lack of a lateral support stabilizer at the outside lateral portion of the hindfoot portion 40 results in an eighth thickness 85 of the hindfoot portion 40 at its outside lateral edge being less than the eighth thickness 80 of insole 10 a. As shown in FIG. 3, the hindfoot portion 40 of the insole 10 b does not include a lateral support stabilizer at its outside lateral edge. Thus, the lateral support stabilizer is only present in the insole 10 a for the right foot, best shown in FIG. 2.

During the loading phase of the golf swing, the tendency of a golfer is to roll out or supinate on the back foot, which is the right foot for righthanded golfers and the left foot for lefthanded golfers. This supinatory motion may be referred to as lateral sway. This swaying motion can cause the golfer to completely lose proper positioning of their swing plane. The support stabilizer 41 braces the lateral edge of the rear foot to reduce lateral sway, thereby helping keep the knee of the golfer positioned toward the midline of the body. This helps to provide for proper positioning and enhanced balance during the backswing, increasing the golfer's chance to stay on a desired plane during the backswing and foreswing phase of the golf swing.

It should be appreciated that insoles for righthanded golfers have been shown, but that insoles for lefthanded golfers are within the scope of this disclosure as well. The difference would be that, for a lefthanded golfer, the left insole would include the power plug and support stabilizer instead of the right insole. The right foot of a righthanded golfer is considered to be the dominant side foot, with the left foot being considered to be the non-dominant side foot. Similarly, the left foot of a lefthanded golfer is considered to be the dominant side foot, with the right foot being considered to be the non-dominant side foot.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one example, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the claims are not to be limited to the specific examples depicted herein. For example, the features of one example disclosed above can be used with the features of another example. For instance, examples and embodiments disclosed herein may also be used in other contexts. Furthermore, various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept. For example, the geometric configurations disclosed herein may be altered depending upon the application, as may the material selection for the components. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the examples discussed herein. Thus, the details of these components as set forth in the above-described examples, should not limit the scope of the claims. 

1. A pair of insoles dimensioned to fit within a pair of shoes, the pair of insoles comprising: a dominant side insole comprising: a forefoot portion having a first thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof; a midfoot portion adjacent the forefoot portion having a second thickness; a hindfoot portion adjacent the midfoot portion having a third thickness; wherein the third thickness is less than the first thickness combined with the second thickness; wherein the hindfoot portion includes a support stabilizer at an outside lateral portion thereof; and an energy plug attached to the midfoot portion and the hindfoot portion and covering lateral portions thereof, the energy plug being constructed from a resilient material; and a non-dominant side insole comprising: a forefoot portion having a fifth thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof; a midfoot portion adjacent the forefoot portion having a sixth thickness; a hindfoot portion adjacent the midfoot portion having a seventh thickness; and wherein the seventh thickness is less than the fifth thickness combined with the sixth thickness.
 2. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein an elevational difference between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the dominant side insole is approximately 4 millimeters.
 3. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein an elevational difference between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the non-dominant side insole is approximately 4 millimeters.
 4. The pair of insoles of claim 1 wherein an elevational difference between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the dominant side insole is approximately 4 millimeters and wherein an elevational difference between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the non-dominant side insole is approximately 4 millimeters.
 5. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the support stabilizer defines an eighth thickness of the hindfoot portion at a lateral portion thereof, the eighth thickness being greater than the first thickness.
 6. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the support stabilizer defines a non-uniform thickness of the hindfoot portion that increases toward a lateral most edge of the hindfoot portion.
 7. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the midfoot portion of each of the dominant side insole and the non-dominant side insole is shaped to define an arch extending between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion.
 8. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the forefoot portion, the midfoot portion, and the hindfoot portion of each of the dominant side insole and the non-dominant side insole are constructed from a resilient material; and wherein the resilient material of the energy plug has a higher rebound rate than that of the resilient material of the forefoot portion, the midfoot portion, and the hindfoot portion.
 9. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the hindfoot portion of each of the dominant side insole and the non-dominant side insole does not include a lateral support stabilizer at an inside medial portion thereof
 10. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the energy plug is dimensioned such that when the dominant side insole is placed within a shoe and when a foot is placed within the shoe to contact the insole, the energy plug extends from a center of a heel of the foot to a point adjacent a base of a fifth metatarsal of the foot.
 11. The pair of insoles of claim 1, wherein the non-dominant side insole does not have an energy plug or a lateral support stabilizer.
 12. An insole dimensioned to fit within a shoe for a dominant side of a golfer, the insole comprising: a forefoot portion having a first thickness at a latitudinal midpoint thereof; a midfoot portion adjacent the forefoot portion having a second thickness; a hindfoot portion adjacent the midfoot portion having a third thickness; wherein the third thickness is less than the first thickness combined with the second thickness; wherein the hindfoot portion includes a support stabilizer at an outside lateral portion thereof; and an energy plug attached to the midfoot portion and the hindfoot portion and covering lateral portions thereof, the energy plug being constructed from a resilient material.
 13. The insole of claim 12, wherein the support stabilizer defines an eighth thickness of the hindfoot portion at a lateral portion thereof, the eighth thickness being greater than the first thickness.
 14. The insole of claim 12, wherein the support stabilizer defines a non-uniform thickness of the hindfoot portion that increases toward a lateral most edge of the hindfoot portion.
 15. The insole of claim 12, wherein the forefoot portion, the midfoot portion, and the hindfoot portion are constructed from a resilient material; and wherein the resilient material of the energy plug has a higher rebound rate than that of the resilient material of the forefoot portion, the midfoot portion, and the hindfoot portion.
 16. The insole of claim 12, wherein an elevational difference between the forefoot portion and the hindfoot portion of the insole is approximately 4 millimeters. 